scholarly journals Ebola virus – from neglected threat to global emergency state

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 458-467
Author(s):  
Daniela Alexandra de Meneses Rocha Aguiar Pacheco ◽  
Acácio Agostinho Gonçalves Rodrigues ◽  
Carmen Maria Lisboa da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Severe Form ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Bodily Fluids ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Initial Symptoms ◽  
Prevention Method

SUMMARY Objective: This review aims to update knowledge about Ebola virus disease (EVD) and recent advances in its diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Method: A literature review was performed using the following databases: ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, IRIS, Scopus and the websites of the CDC and the WHO. Additionally, we have included articles and reports referenced in the basic literature search, and news that were considered relevant. Results: The Ebola virus, endemic in some parts of Africa, is responsible for a severe form of hemorrhagic fever in humans; bats are probably its natural reservoir. It is an extremely virulent virus and easily transmitted by bodily fluids. EVD's complex pathophysiology, characterized by immunosuppression as well as stimulation of an intense inflammatory response, results in a syndrome similar to septic shock. The diagnosis is difficult due to the initial symptoms that mimic other diseases. Despite the high mortality rates that can amount to 90%, a prophylaxis (chemical or vaccine) or effective treatment does not exist. Two vaccines and experimental therapies are being developed for the prevention and treatment of EVD. Conclusion: Although the virus is known for about 40 years, the lack of knowledge obtained and the disinterest of government authorities in the countries involved justify the state of emergency currently exists regarding this infectious agent. Only the coordination of multiple entities and the effective commitment of the international community will facilitate the control and effective prevention of EVD.

scholarly journals Equine-Origin Immunoglobulin Fragments Protect Nonhuman Primates from Ebola Virus Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hualei Wang ◽  
Gary Wong ◽  
Wenjun Zhu ◽  
Shihua He ◽  
Yongkun Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
West African ◽  
Clinical Testing ◽  
The Past ◽  
Over 40 Years

ABSTRACT Ebola virus (EBOV) infections result in aggressive hemorrhagic fever in humans, with fatality rates reaching 90% and with no licensed specific therapeutics to treat ill patients. Advances over the past 5 years have firmly established monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based products as the most promising therapeutics for treating EBOV infections, but production is costly and quantities are limited; therefore, MAbs are not the best candidates for mass use in the case of an epidemic. To address this need, we generated EBOV-specific polyclonal F(ab′)2 fragments from horses hyperimmunized with an EBOV vaccine. The F(ab′)2 was found to potently neutralize West African and Central African EBOV in vitro. Treatment of nonhuman primates (NHPs) with seven doses of 100 mg/kg F(ab′)2 beginning 3 or 5 days postinfection (dpi) resulted in a 100% survival rate. Notably, NHPs for which treatment was initiated at 5 dpi were already highly viremic, with observable signs of EBOV disease, which demonstrated that F(ab′)2 was still effective as a therapeutic agent even in symptomatic subjects. These results show that F(ab′)2 should be advanced for clinical testing in preparation for future EBOV outbreaks and epidemics. IMPORTANCE EBOV is one of the deadliest viruses to humans. It has been over 40 years since EBOV was first reported, but no cure is available. Research breakthroughs over the past 5 years have shown that MAbs constitute an effective therapy for EBOV infections. However, MAbs are expensive and difficult to produce in large amounts and therefore may only play a limited role during an epidemic. A cheaper alternative is required, especially since EBOV is endemic in several third world countries with limited medical resources. Here, we used a standard protocol to produce large amounts of antiserum F(ab′)2 fragments from horses vaccinated with an EBOV vaccine, and we tested the protectiveness in monkeys. We showed that F(ab′)2 was effective in 100% of monkeys even after the animals were visibly ill with EBOV disease. Thus, F(ab′)2 could be a very good option for large-scale treatments of patients and should be advanced to clinical testing.

scholarly journals Macaque Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting Novel Conserved Epitopes within Filovirus Glycoprotein

2015 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen-Yong Keck ◽  
Sven G. Enterlein ◽  
Katie A. Howell ◽  
Hong Vu ◽  
Sergey Shulenin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibodies ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Protective Efficacy ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Marburg Virus ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core

ABSTRACTFiloviruses cause highly lethal viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates. Current immunotherapeutic options for filoviruses are mostly specific to Ebola virus (EBOV), although other members ofFiloviridaesuch as Sudan virus (SUDV), Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), and Marburg virus (MARV) have also caused sizeable human outbreaks. Here we report a set of pan-ebolavirus and pan-filovirus monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) derived from cynomolgus macaques immunized repeatedly with a mixture of engineered glycoproteins (GPs) and virus-like particles (VLPs) for three different filovirus species. The antibodies recognize novel neutralizing and nonneutralizing epitopes on the filovirus glycoprotein, including conserved conformational epitopes within the core regions of the GP1 subunit and a novel linear epitope within the glycan cap. We further report the first filovirus antibody binding to a highly conserved epitope within the fusion loop of ebolavirus and marburgvirus species. One of the antibodies binding to the core GP1 region of all ebolavirus species and with lower affinity to MARV GP cross neutralized both SUDV and EBOV, the most divergent ebolavirus species. In a mouse model of EBOV infection, this antibody provided 100% protection when administered in two doses and partial, but significant, protection when given once at the peak of viremia 3 days postinfection. Furthermore, we describe novel cocktails of antibodies with enhanced protective efficacy compared to individual MAbs. In summary, the present work describes multiple novel, cross-reactive filovirus epitopes and innovative combination concepts that challenge the current therapeutic models.IMPORTANCEFiloviruses are among the most deadly human pathogens. The 2014-2015 outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) led to more than 27,000 cases and 11,000 fatalities. While there are five species ofEbolavirusand several strains of marburgvirus, the current immunotherapeutics primarily target Ebola virus. Since the nature of future outbreaks cannot be predicted, there is an urgent need for therapeutics with broad protective efficacy against multiple filoviruses. Here we describe a set of monoclonal antibodies cross-reactive with multiple filovirus species. These antibodies target novel conserved epitopes within the envelope glycoprotein and exhibit protective efficacy in mice. We further present novel concepts for combination of cross-reactive antibodies against multiple epitopes that show enhanced efficacy compared to monotherapy and provide complete protection in mice. These findings set the stage for further evaluation of these antibodies in nonhuman primates and development of effective pan-filovirus immunotherapeutics for use in future outbreaks.

scholarly journals Ocular Manifestations of Ebola Virus Disease: An Ophthalmologist’s Guide to Prevent Infection and Panic

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enzo Maria Vingolo ◽  
Giuseppe Alessio Messano ◽  
Serena Fragiotta ◽  
Leopoldo Spadea ◽  
Stefano Petti
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Ocular Manifestations ◽  
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Moment

Ebola virus disease (EVD—formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a severe hemorrhagic fever caused by lipid-enveloped, nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the genusEbolavirus. Case fatality rates may reach up to 76% of infected individuals, making this infection a deadly health problem in the sub-Saharan population. At the moment, there are still no indications on ophthalmological clinical signs and security suggestions for healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses or cooperative persons). This paper provides a short but complete guide to reduce infection risks.

scholarly journals IN VITRO DIAGNOSIS FOR EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE. A COMPARISON OF CURRENT TECHNIQUES AND DIAGNOSTIC ASSAYS

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-116
Author(s):  
A. O. Sementsova ◽  
V. G. Dedkov ◽  
V. A. Ternovoy ◽  
E. V. Chub ◽  
S. A. Pyankov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Multiple Organ ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
Natural Foci ◽  
Forested Areas

Ebola virus disease is dangerous viral infection, occurring in the form of hemorrhagic fever, characterized by acute clinical symptoms and high mortality rate due to multiple organ failure. Ebola virus natural foci are located in forested areas of the central and western parts of Africa. It was believed for many years, the incidence of Ebola virus disease has been sporadic and the burden of it is true only in endemic areas. However, the unprecedented Ebola epidemic caused by Zaire virus in 2013 — 2016, has significantly changed our understanding of this disease and the patterns of its distribution. We have also identified weaknesses in the organization of anti-epidemic measures, the effectiveness of which was not very effective at the onset of the epidemic, in particular due to weak development of in vitro diagnostics (IVD). However, during the elimination of the epidemic in West Africa, anti-epidemic system has been modified substantially, largely due to quickly developed IVD kits. This review is devoted to analysis of trends in IVD for Ebola virus disease based on the experience obtained in the course of the West-African epidemic in 2013 — 2016.

scholarly journals Region level risk factors for the Ebola virus disease in West Africa

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Levy ◽  
Agricola Odoi
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Bodily Fluids ◽  
Married Men ◽  
Future Outbreak

Background. The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a highly infectious disease that has claimed over 25,000 cases in the past 50 years. While many past outbreaks of EVD resulted in relatively few incidents, the 2014 outbreak in West Africa was the most deadly occurrence of EVD to date producing over 15,000 confirmed cases. Objective. In this study we relate total confirmed case counts of EVD to predictor variables at the region level in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. Methods. We used a Poisson framework and negative binomial framework to relate the predictors to the outcome. A spatial analysis was conducted to further our understanding and help interpret results. Results. Results indicate that the percent of the population living in urban areas, percent of household with a bad quality or no toilet, and percent of married men working in blue collar jobs protect against the transmission of EVD. Our study also shows that mean years of education contributes to increased case counts of the disease. Conclusions. Each significant predictor are associated with the types of dynamics that either protect against, or exacerbate, the spread of EVD. While having limited contact with the bodily fluids of others, reduced person-to-person contact, and isolated population clusters protect against the spread of EVD, the types of daily interactions an educated individual will experience leads to higher incidence rates. This information can be used to identify potential transmission routes and prevent future outbreak of this deadly disease.

scholarly journals Emergence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): Key Facts

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-37
Author(s):  
Md Mahfuzar Rahman ◽  
Farnaz Mehrin ◽  
Fahim Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Global Threat

The modern emerging infection Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is of global threat originates from Africa region. This is zoonotic and identified as human diseases or previously called Ebola hemorrhagic fever which is a highly fatal human illness where case fatality rate is found up to 90%. The virus transmission begins from wild animals to human and then spreads within population through human to human. Fruit bats are found as natural host of Ebola virus. There is no specific treatment or vaccine available in the market so far, intensive supportive care is needed for severely ill patients. This paper highlights background information, problem statement, viral characteristics, mode of transmission, signs and symptoms, prevention & vaccination. It also indicates possible actions towards prevention of transmission & personal protection.Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 6, No. 1: January 2015, Pages 35-37

scholarly journals The 100 top-Cited Studies on Ebola: A Bibliometric Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Kawuki ◽  
Taha Hussein Musa ◽  
Shireen Salome Papabathini ◽  
Upama Ghimire ◽  
Nathan Obore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Number Of Citations ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background: The achievements in Ebola virus disease (EVD) prevention and control can be reflected by scientific studies, particularly in the top-cited studies. The study thus aimed to identify and characterise the 100 top-cited studies of Ebola.Methods: The study used a retrospective bibliometric analysis, which was performed in January 2020. Studies were searched from the Web of Science using the keywords: “Ebola” or “Ebola virus” or “Ebola virus disease” to identify the 100 top-cited ebola studies. Studies were analysed for the number of citations, authorship, and journal, year of publication, country and institution. The analyses were carried out using SPSS, HistCite and VOSviewer.Results: The 100 top-cited studies were published between 1977 and 2017, were cited from 169 to 808 times and had an average citation of 290.5, and 8 studies were cited more than 500 times. They were published in 31 journals, and Journal of Virology published most of the studies (n=14). They were produced by 33 countries, and the USA published most of the studies (63), followed by Germany (8) and Gabon (6). Centre for Disease prevention and Control-USA (26) was the leading institution, while Geisbert TW and Sanchez A were the most productive authors.Conclusions: This study provides insights into the historical advancements reflected by the top-cited studies and has highlighted the leading roles played by various stakeholders in addressing EVD. However, the contribution of African countries is not sufficiently reflected among these studies, and so more focus, funding and involvement in clinical research is needed for effective prevention and control of EVD in Africa.

The Angolan Pandemic Rapid Response Team: An Assessment, Improvement, and Development Analysis of the First Self-sufficient African National Response Team Curriculum

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 577-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Owens ◽  
Jason Rice
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
National Level ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Rapid Response Team ◽  
Rapid Response ◽  
World Health ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess, through participant self-assessment, the effectiveness of a rapid response team curriculum based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Ebola Virus Disease Consolidated Preparedness Checklist, Revision 1.MethodsA pre-and-post survey for the purpose of process improvement assessment involving 44 individuals was conducted in Angola. The survey was conducted before and after a 6-day training workshop held in Luanda, Angola, in December 2017. A paired t-test was used to identify any significant change on six 7-point Likert scale questions with α <.05 (95% CI).ResultsTwo of the 6 questions, “I feel confident the team can effectively work together to accomplish its assigned goals and objectives during a suspected contagious hemorrhagic fever disease outbreak” and “I understand basic pandemic response concepts” changed significantly from the presurvey to the postsurvey. The 4 remaining questions had near statistical significant change or an upward trend.ConclusionThis Angolan rapid response team training curriculum based on WHO guidelines, After Action Reports, and internationally accepted standard operating procedures provides the nation of Angola with the confidence to rapidly respond at the national level to a highly infectious contagion in the region. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:577-581)

scholarly journals Assessing the determinants of Ebola Virus Disease Transmission in Baka Community of the Tropical Rainforest of Cameroon

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frankline Sevidzem Wirsiy ◽  
Alphonse Um Bock ◽  
Jane-Francis Kihla Tatah Akoachere
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Risk Of Exposure

Abstract Background: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans and nonhuman primates caused by the Ebola virus. The recently approved rVSV-EBOV vaccine is not available in many high-risk countries hence prevention is paramount. Design of effective prevention interventions requires an understanding of the factors that expose communities at risk. It was based on this that we investigated the Baka community of Abong-Mbang Health District in tropical rain forest of Cameroon.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with participants randomly selected from 13 villages in Abong-Mbang by multi-stage cluster sampling. A questionnaire was administered to them to collect demographic information, data on knowledge of EVD, their feeding and health-seeking behaviour. Data was analyzed using the chi-square test. Knowledge of EVD was assessed using an 8 item Morisky Scale. An adapted Threat Capability Basic Risk Assessment Guide was used to determine their risk of exposure to infection.Results: A total of 510 participants, most of whom were hunters (31.4%), farmers (29.8%), and had primary education (62.7%), were included in this study. Although 83.3% participants had heard of EVD, most (71%) did not know its cause. Their source of information was mainly informal discussions in the community (49%). Misconceptions were identified with regards to the cause and mode of transmission. Only 43.1% accepted EVD could be transmitted from human-to-human. Generally, participants’ knowledge of EVD was poor. Demographic factors such as level of education, occupation and ethnic group significantly affected knowledge of EVD. The majority of participants were at a very high risk of exposure to infection as they consumed various forms of bush meat and were involved in other risky practices such as scarification and touching of corpses. Although over half of participants seek medical care, most of them preferred traditional medicine. Socio-cultural and service-related factors were deterrent factors to medical care. Conclusion: Participants generally had poor knowledge of EVD and were at high risk of infection. We recommend rigorous sensitization campaigns in the study area to educate the population on EVD and clarify the misconceptions identified. EVD surveillance is recommended particularly as outbreaks have often been reported in the Congo Basin

scholarly journals A THEORETICAL STUDY ON FRACTIONAL EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER MODEL

Fractals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHAHER MOMANI ◽  
R. P. CHAUHAN ◽  
SUNIL KUMAR ◽  
SAMIR HADID
Keyword(s):  
Virus Infection ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Numerical Technique ◽  
Disease Model ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Conformable Derivatives ◽  
Ebola Virus Infection

The Ebola virus infection (EVI), generally known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a major health concern. The occasional outbreaks of virus occur primarily in certain parts of Africa. Many researches have been devoted to the study of the Ebola virus disease. In this paper, we have taken susceptible-infected-recovered-deceased-environment (SIRDP) system to investigate the dynamics of Ebola virus infection. We adopted fractional operators for a better illustration of model dynamics and memory effects. Initially, the Ebola disease model is modified with Caputo–Fabrizio arbitrary operator in Caputo sense (CFC) and we employed the fixed-point results for the existence and uniqueness of the solution of the fractional system. Further, we adopted the arbitrary fractional conformable and [Formula: see text]-conformable derivatives to the alternative representation of the model. For the numerical approximation of the system, we show a numerical technique based on the fundamental theorem of fractional calculus for CFC derivative and a numerical scheme called the Adams–Moulton for conformable derivatives. Finally, for the validation of theoretical results, the numerical simulations are displayed.

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